Alberto Martini
was born in Oderzo (I) on November 24, 1876. He was a painter, engraver,
lithographer, illustrator and graphic designer (ex libris, visiting
cards). He trained in drawing and painting under the guidance of his
father Giorgio, who copied old masters and who was professor of drawing
at the Istituto Technico in Treviso. In 1897, when he was only 21 years,
he exhibited for the first time at the Venice Biennale with the
cycle of drawings "La corte dei miracoli", inspired by
"Notre-Dame de Paris" by Victor Hugo. During 1898 he stayed in
Munich and had the opportunity to work on the magazines Jugend and
Dekorative Kunst. He illustrated numerous books and was very
productive designing postcard series. During World War 1 he designed 5
series of postcards called: "Danza Macabra Europea".
Alberto Martini died in Milan (I), November 8, 1954.
(Source: Art Nouveau Postcards, Giovanni Fanelli & Ezio Godoli. USA
1987)

There are 5 series
in the "Danza Macabra Europea" set. Series I,
II, III and V each 12 cards and series IV, 6 cards,
numbered 1 through 54. All issued by Litografia Longo - Treviso. We will
show you series II, numbered 13 through 24. This is one
of the most beautiful series we have ever seen !!

Click
on the pictures to enlarge!
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The
interpretive text for the individual cards displayed below is by Jerry
M. Kosanovich.

German Kaiser
Wilhelm II is portrayed as a turnip head in this card that explains "
The
turnip that the Prussians wanted to plant in Paris ".
Martini's caricature both highlights the crimes of the Germans as well
promising retribution to the Kaiser. On the turnip's leaves are the
names of the cities Luvain , Reims and Paris. The Germans
gratuitously shelled and then put to the torch Luvain and Reims. There
was little compelling military reason in Reims, and not in Luvain.
Luvain had, in fact, been abandoned by the Belgian army. The
destruction of these cities, considered gems of European medieval art
and architecture proved to the Allies and the world, that the German
claim to be "cultured" was false.

No.
13

The names of
Luvain and Reims came to be synonomous in Allied anti-German propaganda
with "barbarism" and lack of civilization.
The promise of retribution, by France, is symbolized by the smiling
skeletal "Death" who wears the French revolutionary cap and
holds up a guillotine.

" The
revenge of stepmother Austria "
This horrific cartoon portrays the Austro-Hungarian Empire as
murderously blood thirsty. The foul monster crushes a human figure,
representing Italy, in its jaws. From the broken body of Italy blood
flows and outlines the provinces within the Austro-Hungarian Empire
populated with ethnic Italians - Trentino, Istria and Dalmatia. Even as
the beast ravages Italy, it disfigures its own body by clawing at its
belly representing Galicia - Austro-Hungary's Polish province. Perched
atop the beast is a skeletal two-headed bird symbolizing the
Austro-Hungarian Empire.

No. 14

The imperial
symbol of the Empire was the double-headed eagle, and this creature's
rump is the face of Austrian Emperor (Kaiser) Franz Josef - taken in
total to symbolize the corrupt and evil nature of the Empire and its
leadership.

" You
became a goose, and you an old monkey "
This card takes aim at both the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires.
Austria's Emperor Franz Josef, with the lower body of a monkey, sits
upon a throne of skulls. Preening before him is a diminutive skeleton
representing German Kaiser Wilhelm II. He rides a two-headed goose,
mocking the two-headed eagle which is the Austro-Hungarian imperial
symbol. Important to the message in this caricature is the structure of
the throne upon which Franz Josef sits - the hangman's gibbet. Note that
on the cross bar is written the word "Oberdan". This is a
reference to Guglielmo Oberdan (1858-1882). Oberdan was a idealistic
young student.

No.
15

A student, who
like many of his countrymen harbored a deep hatred and distrust of
Austria because of that empire's continued control of the regions of
Trieste and Trento, which were heavily populated by ethnic Italians and
the object of Italian irredentist ambition. In 1882 passions were
running high as the Italian government was then contemplating an
alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany. On the occasion of a much
publicized visit of Emperor Franz Josef to Trieste in October 1882,
Oberdan, equipped with explosives, set out to assassinate the emperor.
Stopped at the border, the explosives were discovered and Oberdan was
arrested, tried and quickly convicted. Great efforts were made to save
him, and petitions asking for clemency were signed by thousands of
women. Victor Hugo, the famous French author, appealed personally to the
Emperor. However, Austria's long reign over its ethnically diverse
empire had not been established on clemency, and Oberdan was promptly
hanged. The legend, developed in Italy, is that he was convicted on
manufactured evidence, and that the bombs attributed to him were placed
in his baggage by Austrian agents. He became immediately a popular hero,
and entered into the irredentist folklore. (See also the execution of Cesare
Battisti)

" The last
rescue - vessel "Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef is portrayed as up to his neck
in a lake of blood.
He is held afloat by holding onto a coffin atop which is skeletal Death,
poling across the lake.
Above Russia advances upon Galicia, the Polish province of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Below it shows the imperial capital of Vienna being threatened with
inundation by the lake of blood.

No.
16

" Empire
of Death"Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef is portrayed as a mutton chop
demon. In his eye socket to the left is the Serbian Gavrilo Prinzip who
assassinated Austro-Hungarian imperial Heir Apparent Archduke Franz
Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. This was the spark that ignited
the World War. A skeleton Franz Ferdinand is in the right eye socket of
the Emperor. Hanging from Franz Josef's elongated demon ears are victims
of Austro-Hungarian atrocity in the Tyrol and Balkans following the
assassination.

No.
17

(The left ear
reads Trento and Trieste, Austrian provinces populated by ethnic
Italians and the right ear reads Serbia - which Austria-Hungary attacked
and upon whose civilian population they performed slaughter.)
At center below is a sword-skewered two-headed bird symbolizing that the
demon Franz Josef will be the death of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, of
which the two-headed eagle was the national symbol.

" The
macabre/comical dream of Wilhelm II "This cartoon attacks German Emperor Wilhelm II as a demon attempting
to control the fate of nations. Portrayed as a skeleton with only a
heart, Wilhelm wields the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a tool -
represented by a staff upon which is mounted the head of the
Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef. Wilhelm's cynical use of religion
is symbolized by the Roman Catholic Pope bound together with the Turkish
Sultan, nominally the head od the world's muslims. They are held
together over the fire. Wilhelm the demon stands atop the backs of five
men who are up to their chests in blood.

No.
18

These five men
apparently are the leaders of the principal allied nations: (L - R) King
George of Britain, King Albert of Belgium(?), Czar Nicholas of Russia,
King Victor Emanuel of Italy and President Poincaré of France (in red
cap). To the sides we see cataloged some of the cities in which
civilians were bombed by Germany - Venezia, London and Paris.